• Several retail debuts and flagship stores offer array of choices for customers • Dubai Aquarium & Discovery Centre and Dubai Ice Rink continue to attract thousands of visitors • Mall emerging as prime driver of retail sector in the UAE
Dubai, UAE; December 4, 2008: The Dubai Mall, one of the world’s largest shopping and entertainment destinations, has added on 100 new stores in less than a month since its opening on November 4, 2008, offering the city’s most dynamic and exciting retail choice for visitors. The mall opening made history in the world retail sector for the maximum number of store openings
at the same time.
Retailers are opening their stores daily, as they continue to complete fit-out operations, and the majority of The Dubai Mall’s 1,200 stores will be operational by early 2009 including Galeries Lafayette, one of the mall’s two key anchor department stores. Bloomingdale’s, the other key anchor will open in 2010. The new stores that have opened in the past month include several flagship stores or unique retailers to the region covering a range of sectors including fashion, accessories and home appliances.
Mr Yousif Al Ali, General Manager, The Dubai Mall, said: “The opening of The Dubai Mall has energised the retail sector in the region with strong sales recorded throughout the mall. In less than a month, about 100 retailers have opened their stores, several of them flagship stores for the region. The continual opening of new stores on a daily basis gives mall visitors a wider choice to complement the upcoming festive season sales.”
He added: “In addition to the dynamic array of shopping choices, the mall’s leisure attractions such as the Dubai Aquarium & Discovery Centre and Dubai Ice Rink continue to be key attractions for visitors. The Guinness World Record holding Dubai Aquarium offers a window to the splendours of the marine world with the ‘world’s largest acrylic viewing panel’, while the Dubai Ice Rink offers a winter escape with its Olympic sized proportions.”
Among the stores that have come online since The Dubai Mall opened are fashion and accessories brands Cole Haan, Sacoor Brothers, Manolo Blahnik, Karen Millen, Just Cavalli, Diesel, Tru Trussardi, CK, Coach and Burberry. Newly opened children’s clothing stores include Salam Kido and Osh Kosh B'Gosh, and a number of jewellery and watch retailers such as Rivoli, Tiffany, Carl F Bucherer and Richard Mille are also open. The flagship stores Nivea Haus, a concept health and beauty store and the widely popular bookstore from Japan, Kinokuniya have both opened, marking their Middle East debut to the region.
The Dubai Mall will have 1,200 retail outlets in all, and over 160 food & beverage outlets including two food courts. The Level 2 food court, the largest of its kind in Dubai features 40 international dining options ranging from Taco Bell and Hatam, to the newly opened Fatburger, Ribs & Rumps and Johnny Rockets Express. Café Court on the Lower Ground level also offers a fine selection of food and beverage choices including Assia in Wok, Nando’s, Mashawii and Zataar w Zeit.
Other attractions that will be completed in the new year include Fashion Avenue, a precinct dedicated to haute couture 70 signature stores; The Grove an indoor-outdoor streetscape with a fully retractable roof; KidZania®, an 80,000 sq ft innovative children’s ‘edu-tainment’ concept; SEGA Republic®, a 76,000 sq ft high adrenaline indoor theme park; and a 22-screen cineplex, the largest in Dubai.
Located in Downtown Burj Dubai, the mall can be accessed from Sheikh Zayed Road, Financial Centre Road (previously called Doha Street), Emaar Boulevard, Downtown Burj Dubai, the new bridge off Interchange One and a direct access road near Emaar Square off Sheikh Zayed Road. The mall has a total of over 14,000 spaces for parking across three car parks and a car locator ticketing system.
Note to Editors
About Emaar Malls Group LLC:
Emaar Malls Group LLC, is the retail and shopping mall subsidiary of Emaar Properties PJSC, a leading property developer based in Dubai, and drives its diversification into shopping malls. This is in line with Emaar’s Vision 2010 to become one of the most valuable companies in the world. Emaar has announced investments in shopping malls of over US$4 billion (AED 15 billion) with 10 million sq ft of retail property in operation or under development in the emerging markets of the Middle East, North Africa, the Indian
Subcontinent and South Asia and is on target to become one of the largest developers of shopping malls in the world.
At the forefront of these developments is the flagship The Dubai Mall, one of the world’s largest malls in the heart of the Downtown Burj Dubai. Now open, The Dubai Mall is the region’s premier shopping, lifestyle and entertainment destination. Emaar Malls Group is also operating or developing two other malls in Dubai;
Souk Al Bahar, an Arabesque shopping and entertainment development on The Old Town Island which is now open, and the Dubai Marina Mall, a lifestyle shopping mall for residents of the Dubai Marina community opening in late 2008.
Internationally, Emaar Malls Group is actively planning or developing shopping centres in Egypt, Syria,
Morocco, Turkey, Jordan and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and continues to drive the company’s expansion
strategy on a global scale.
About Emaar Retail:
Emaar Retail is a wholly owned subsidiary of Emaar Malls Group LLC and is the vehicle for all retail
operations. Emaar Retail is developing a portfolio of brands in key growth markets and is strategically
building new alliances, joint ventures, franchises and licenses for all mall developments under the Emaar
Malls Group umbrella.
Emaar Retail also manages the business operations for The Dubai mall’s leisure and entertainment
brands including KidZania®, SEGA Republic®, the Olympic-sized ‘Dubai Ice Rink’ and Dubai Aquarium &
Discovery Centre. Emaar Retail has also entered into a joint-venture with Cathay Organisation in
Singapore, to form Reel Entertainment to develop cinemas across the region including flagship 22-screen
Cineplex at The Dubai Mall.
Emaar Retail was established to drive Emaar Malls Group’s developments in key emerging markets
across the Middle East, North Africa and the Indian Sub-Continent through creating the right retail mix for
the various markets.
About Emaar Properties PJSC:
Emaar Properties PJSC is one of the world’s largest property development companies and is rapidly
evolving to become a global provider of premier lifestyles. Emaar Properties, which has a strong presence
in 36 global markets, has expanded into shopping malls in line with its Vision 2010 to become one of the
most valuable companies in the world through a two-pronged approach of geographic expansion and
business segmentation. For more information visit www.emaar.com.
For further information, please contact:
Kelly Home / Roisin Lillis
ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller
Tel: (+971 4) 334 4550
E-mail: k.home@asdaa.com, r.lillis@asdaa.com
